Omaha daily bee., 1887-05-30
"SKIP" WlLLARD'S SHOOTING
Additional News Concerning the Loup City
Editorial Tragedy.
A uFUED OF LONG STANDING,
A ScurrilUus Poem Causes the Final
bloody Culmination-Rich
son the Murderer, Arrested
and Jailed.
The Loup City Tragedy.

IOtp CITY, Ia, May o. 0It'ldl l'l'-
gram to the BEE. The excitement over the
killing of o. B. Willard, editor of the Sher-
man County Times, by b. 7. Richardson,
editor of the Northwestern, has somewhat
subsidized. Immediately after the shooting
yesterday afternoon Richardson was arrested
and run into the hills north Of town in order
to keep him out of reach OF an infuriated
crowd of the dead mans friends, who would
have lynched him or attempted to do so.
Eary this morning Sheriff Peddler brought
him into town, and after securing some assls-
tance, started with him to some adjoining
county having secure jail
The bad blood between the two men was
caused by personalities appearing in each OF
the two papers. Both men finally became
very abusive. On Thursday Willard pub
lishcd an article entitled About Ilyenas, lin
which he called Richardson a hyena, closely
allied to q dog, and also called him
nocturnal prowling thief. Also
charged him with crime, and asserted that he
could prove it, lNoTE.-The article here
alluded to was published in the Sunday BEE.
On Friday Richardson retalated by threat
enng to publish certain poem" and VIII
lard met him and told him II he published it
he would kill him. Richardson carried ont
his threat of publication. The 'poem' re-
uDOIl lHc Cliul hCtcl Vi w ahu
his wife.
Immediately after the publication Richard
son went prepared to meet the consequences.
They met at the barber shop, ana as given
your reporter by an eye witness, Richardson
on vacating the chair, saw Willard standing
near the door. Willard thereon struck al
Richardson with piece of metal, afterwards
clinching him, when Richardson drew his
revolver and fired two shots which took effect
near the heart. Willard turned, took two or
three steps and fell expiring instantly.
AT this writing the excitement has almost
subsidized and people are looking upon 1t as
the saddest affair in the history of the village.
Richardson is young man, always con
sidered quiet and inotfensive. Willard has
had state acquaintance as newspaper man
and always has been identified as a staunch
supporter OF his party IN the county.
The following article and the poem, re-
ferred to in the above dispatch. appeared in
Richardson's paper, the Northwestern, on
Friday evening, in retaliation for the
"hyena" editorial in Willald's paper of
Thursday:
Yesterday noon as we were passing the
corner near the barber shop, the bale of
hay" from the Times office blew up and re-
marked that If we published certain poem
In our supplement this week 1t would kill MS.
it, during which it repeated the threat several
times. Being of a retiring disposition, we
gracefully retired in great fear and trembling
as we saw it waited away with blood in its
eye, and as we are not used to being bull
dOzed, we publish said poem in full in this
weeks supplement-. If 1t had requested that
we suppress 1t as 4 favor, and would quit its
lying publications. about our friends we
would have done differently and we told 1t
So but when it comes at us in search of gore,
and promises us in plain English to help us
climb the golden stair, several steps at time,
II is too much for even our angelic disposl-
tion, and though we would prefer not to pub
lish the poem on some accounts, we have de-
cided to prepare to climb, so all parties owing
us on account will please call and settle nj
once:-The poem is on the first page OF our
supplement.
THE POEM.
The poem was headed. so, Consistency
Thou Art a Jewel" and is as follows:
Oh for poetic talent,
a gift for making rhymes,
Such as graced the empty columns
or the Sherman County Times.
We read and smiled and wondered
How with such language terse
One mind could frame such glowing
thoughts,
And form them into verse.
His BRANDON hits he (she) sllngs abroad
In that inspired rhyme,
Nor seems to know that thing Is dead
Called "Sherman County Times"
In matter long and short and square.
He tried to make IL known
That others have such grieviOus faults,
Forgetful of his own.
Does the Times, dear Times remember
OF a scene just four years now,
Very secretly enacted,
But the people all know how?
A Young man got in trouble
With a--well, he hung his lip
And pondercd, would better wed"
Or a second time to skip"
But that young man was brought to time,
And made to "wed" you bet;
Ana though four years have passed away
The people don't forget
Now, Times, dear Times when you your
SPITE and venom try to throw.
Don't use mud balls lest they rebound
And coming back, hit you.
Guess Who 1t Is
The above beautiful poem was presented t
the Northwestern in the fall of lSS5, but wa
not published at that time. We now give
a place in our supplement-
Richardson in Jail at Ord.